NFL Rumors: Steelers-L'Jarius Sneed buzz, Packers cutting star, Mac Jones trade value

NFL Rumors: Packers could cut Aaron Jones if new deal not agreed upon

Having Aaron Jones back in the fold for the 2023 season turned out to be massively important for the Green Bay Packers. Though he dealt with some injuries, he proved to be the steady force needed in the backfield that surely helped Jordan Love come into his own throughout the year, his first season as the starting quarterback in the wake of Aaron Rodgers' departure.

Whether or not Jones returns as the Packers' starting running back in 2024, however, might be more in doubt than some expected.

Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported from the NFL Combine that the Packers brass has met with Drew Rosenhaus, Jones' agent, about the possibility of restructuring the running back's contract. However, the two sides have not reached an agreement yet and, as Silverstein reported, that could lead to the Packers being forced to cut Jones, though that might not guarantee he's gone:

"If the two can’t reach [an] agreement in the next two weeks, the Packers would release him and then hope whatever they are offering isn’t matched on the open market. If it wasn’t, they’d have a chance at re-signing him at their price."

Jones is in the final year of his contract with Green Bay and holds a $17.575 million cap hit for the 2024 season, per Spotrac. Thus, it stands to reason why the Packers wouldn't want to go into the season with that number on the books, especially as they try to free up cap space and likely incur a roughly $20 million dead cap hit from the expected release of David Bakhtiari.

This is a tricky spot for the Packers with Jones. How much is he worth to them, a running back nearing 30 years old who missed time due to injury, but still performed phenomenally when healthy for the team last season? Brian Gutekunst and Co. have to weigh that in determining their next steps, but it does appear to be a possibility that Jones' time in Green Bay could be coming to a close quickly.